Conservation biological control is a fundamental tactic in integrated pest management (IPM). Greater biological control services can be achieved by enhancing agroecosystems to be more favorable to the presence, survival, and growth of natural enemy populations. One approach that has been tested in numerous agricultural systems is the deployment of synthetic chemicals that mimic those produced by the plant when under attack by pests. These signals may attract arthropod natural enemies to crop habitats and thus potentially improve biological control activity locally. A 2-yr field study was conducted in the cotton agroecosystem to evaluate the potential of synthetic methyl salicylate (MeSA) to attract native arthropod natural enemies and to enhance biological control services on two key pests. Slow-release packets of MeSA were deployed in replicated cotton plots season long. The abundance of multiple taxa of natural enemies and two major pests were monitored weekly by several sampling methods. The deployment of MeSA failed to increase natural enemy abundance and pest densities did not decline. Predator to prey ratios, used as a proxy to estimate biological control function, also largely failed to increase with MeSA deployment. One exception was a season-long increase in the ratio of Orius tristicolor (White) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) to Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring (= Bemisia tabaci MEAM1) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) adults within the context of biological control informed action thresholds. Overall results suggest that MeSA would not likely enhance conservation biological control by the natural enemy community typical of U.S. western cotton production systems.

中文翻译：

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水杨酸甲酯未能提高棉花中节肢动物捕食者的丰度或捕食者与害虫的比率

保护性生物防治是综合虫害管理 (IPM) 的基本策略。通过增强农业生态系统，使其更有利于天敌种群的存在、生存和增长，可以实现更好的生物防治服务。在众多农业系统中测试过的一种方法是使用合成化学品，模拟植物在受到害虫侵袭时产生的化学品。这些信号可能会将节肢动物的天敌吸引到作物栖息地，从而潜在地改善当地的生物防治活动。在棉花农业生态系统中进行了一项为期 2 年的实地研究，以评估合成水杨酸甲酯 (MeSA) 吸引本地节肢动物天敌和加强对两种主要害虫的生物防治服务的潜力。MeSA 的缓释包被部署在复制的棉花地块中。每周通过几种采样方法监测天敌和两种主要害虫的多种分类群的丰度。MeSA 的部署未能增加天敌数量，害虫密度也没有下降。捕食者与猎物的比率，用作估计生物控制功能的代理，也基本上没有随着 MeSA 的部署而增加。一个例外是 Orius tristicolor (White) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) 与 Bemisia argentifolii Bellows 和 Perring (= Bemisia tabaci MEAM1) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) 在生物控制知情行动阈值范围内的比例在整个赛季中增加。总体结果表明，MeSA 不太可能加强美国典型的天敌群落的保护性生物控制